


A Crow of Triumph

by LilithiaWen



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Jason Todd is Not Red Hood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:14:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24407134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilithiaWen/pseuds/LilithiaWen
Summary: So the Red Hood plan is a bust. But just because Jason has decided that death isn’t an option for the Joker doesn’t mean he can’t ruin his fucking life. Death will be a mercy when he’s through. After all, the dead don’t suffer.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been playing around with this idea for awhile. It took hold and wouldn’t leave, so I had to share. It’s really my first serious foray back into writing so I hope you enjoy it. And a huge thanks to BunnyJess for all her help and encouragement! I couldn’t have done it without you.

_It all starts in a hotel room in China._

Jason’s lounging on the bed, mindlessly sharpening his knives as cartoons play in the background.

His training was over. He’d learned all he could and it was time to return to Gotham. He’d meant to go straight there, but a typhoon had stopped travel. He was stuck for awhile. But he was beginning to think that was a good thing.

Ever since he came swinging up from the Lazarus pit, he’s not had anytime to just relax and think. Not really. He’s gone from one teacher to the next without rest. But now, for the first time since he died, he feels like he can _breathe_.

Vengeance has been his only goal for so long. He had a whole plan even. He was going to steal the Red Hood identity from the Joker, use it to clean up Gotham, confront Batman, and force him to choose.

But now the doubts were creeping in.

Batman had already made his choice, hadn’t he? Confronting him about it wouldn’t change anything. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more sure he was.

Joker was committing atrocities long before Jason came along. And he had continued after. No matter what the Joker did, Batman never changed how he dealt with the clown.

Bruce would _never_ kill the Joker. Not for Jason. Not for anyone. He would rather see them all die first.

And if Jason did it? The Joker would be gone, sure. And Batman would no doubt hunt him for it. Jason had his doubts that any previous relationship would stop him. Batman might seem flexible with his intellect and ability to improvise, but he was rigid about everything else. Not to mention that Jason had been dead and buried. Bruce could easily convince himself that Jason was an imposter. Or that he came back wrong. 

But above all, what gave him pause was this – the Joker adored his games. He loved to mess with Batman. That seemed to be what he lived for. It was easy for Jason to see that all the Joker wanted was to dance with the Batman until they died. Preferably at Batmans’s hands. Joker wanted to push Batman to the breaking point, wanted to score that final win. The last laugh.

If Jason did kill the Joker – if _Robin_ , murdered and come back to life, went against everything Batman ever taught him and killed Joker…

The more he thought on it, the more he realized…

That would make Joker _so_ happy. Going out at the expense of Batman was what he _wanted_. The only thing better would be if Bruce really _did_ kill him.

And Jason’s mind just _rebelled_ at the thought of giving the Joker any happiness. He wanted Joker to pay for everything he had ever done. Wanted him to _suffer_.

Jason sighed and set aside his knife. He wasn’t really sure what to do at this point. So long with a goal that no longer seemed viable and now that it was gone…

He lay back and drew his attention to the television. The Looney Tunes were playing. Perfect. Jason adored cartoons. It helped to watch something so obviously not real. Helped quiet his mind and get him out of the real world for awhile. 

He grinned as he watched Bugs mess with everyone. _This_ was good humor. That’s something Joker would never understand. He had a terrible sense of humor and the only reason he made people laugh was fear and that damn gas of his. If people weren’t so afraid, if Joker didn’t hurt and kill so many, he would be laughable. 

Joker really hated that, he remembered. When people laughed at him. Couldn’t take a taste of his own medicine.

Huh….

_Now there’s a thought…_


	2. Chapter 2

Breaking into the vigilante scene required a lot of preparation. If you wanted to do it right, anyway. You couldn’t just throw on a mask and stalk the streets. Proper gear was essential. Also, you needed a theme. Something that set you apart from the rest of the heroes running around. There were a lot of reasons for this, but the main one seemed to be that heroes were symbols. What kind seemed to depend on the hero.

Superman wanted to bring hope to the world, so he emblazoned it across his chest. Batman wanted to bring fear to villains, so he turned his own childhood phobia into a weapon. With others, they played on their powers or skills. Green Arrow was obviously an archer. The Flash could be anywhere in, well, a flash.

Red Hood was meant to be an insult to both Batman and Joker. A mockery. A great way to piss them both off at the same time. But that wasn’t what he was going for anymore.

So. No Red Hood. 

But that just meant he needed something else.

Like Batman, he wanted criminals to fear his wrath. To be a symbol of retribution. Or, better yet, an omen.

It’s that thought that gives him his answer.

The Crow.

Crows symbolized a lot of different things depending on the culture. For some, it was death. Some believed they were good luck. In ancient Japan they were seen as a sign of rebirth and rejuvenation. Native Americans saw them as wise tricksters. But they were also often associated with witchcraft and superstitions. Some saw them as a bad omen, a sign that something terrible was going to happen.

It was perfect. 

Besides, Jason was really fond of the bird theme. 

So now that he had a name, he needed armor and gear. He’d already gotten everything for his Red Hood setup. Some of it he could still use. But the rest needed an overhaul.

He spends days on design. Red Hood was easy. Body armor and a red helmet wasn’t complicated. But he couldn’t be so lazy with his Crow persona.

He keeps the helmet idea. Spending a year practically brain dead had impressed upon him a great respect for head protection. Brain damage was a real threat and he’s not doing that again. 

Though he has his doubts it was entirely brain damage that had been his problem before he was thrown in the pit. Severe mental trauma could cause the psyche to retreat. Jason had been betrayed by the woman who gave birth to him. He should have been able to trust her, but she had sold him out. Then he had been brutally tortured and murdered by a monster while she just stood there and watched. Then he awoke in his coffin, buried alive, and had to claw his way out. Really, it was no wonder he had retreated within his own mind. It was better than facing reality.

His new helmet is solid black. The face is blank and featureless, without even the eyes his red one had. He had a full body suit, black of course. Greaves for his legs, vambraces for his arms. His chest armor was emblazoned with his new symbol. A symmetrical crow, wings spread out. And over his helmet was an actual hood. And then of course the utility belt as well as pockets and hidden compartments for all of his gear. 

And subtle, swirling designs were on his armor. It was almost tribal, bringing to mind old Norse symbols. 

Not bad.

Now he just had to break it in and get used to it. Then…Gotham.

......

After years away, Jason returns to Gotham. It’s the same as a he left it. Gothic architecture, a ridiculous crime rate, and an asylum full of supervillains.

Joker is still in Arkham, which he honestly doesn’t expect to last much longer. It never does. Still, it gives him more time to prepare. He needs to lay some groundwork. Set up safe houses, get his information network going, and familiarize himself with the city. Physically, a city was constantly changing. New buildings were built, some were torn down. And then you had Gotham, which was particularly prone to explosions, fire, and collateral damage from villains and heroes. So obviously, some things were different. 

Not to mention, new gangs had moved in. Jason couldn’t decide if they were stupid or brave. The local Rogues were territorial and had no problem wiping out any fool who overstepped. It had happened before. 

What was most infuriating was what those new gangs had brought with them. A surge in the drug trade. 

When Jason was Robin, he had made a point to target drug dealers and limit their power. He had been vicious with it. 

It looked like Batman had not kept up with his work.

Crime Alley was hardly patrolled. Along with more drugs on the street, other crimes had surged as well. 

It seemed as if all of Jason’s work had been undone.

_That bastard._ He thinks, not for the first time. 

Batman was always so busy with the Rogues and high profile crimes that other parts of the city suffered. 

_Not anymore. If Bruce can’t take care of it, I’ll deal with it myself._

......

Jason announces himself to the criminals of Gotham with a bang. 

Batman is on the other side of the city, dealing with Two-Face. Which means the rest of these lowlifes feel secure. While the Bats are away, the scum will play.

It’s a big meetup of all of the top bosses. The kind that never would have happened if Batman and the police didn’t already have their hands full. Every one of them is a wanted man and they survive by staying off the radar and by pulling off their big operations when one of the Rogues was terrorizing the rest of Gotham.

They totally don’t see the gas grenades coming. 

**Author's Note:**

> I originally planned to start posting this after I had a few more chapters but I recently had a severe medical emergency that I had to spend some time in the hospital for and that I am still recovering from. As you might imagine, I haven’t felt up to writing just yet. I’m mostly posting this now so it doesn’t get deleted from my drafts. I have it saved elsewhere but I just don’t feel like going through all the trouble of formatting it the way I want it again. 
> 
> I can’t say when I will have more out. I have outlines for future chapters ready but it may have to wait until I’m fully healed.


End file.
